This lesser-visited gallery in a corner of the Tokyo National Museum complex is an architectural beauty dedicated to the ancient treasures of Hōryū-ji.

A Catholicism-themed restaurant where sacrilege is on the menu.

Serving you alcohol with a side of insanity. Also, costumes!

Haunted house kitsch meets Japanese folklore at this theme bar where patrons can “die” and have their own mock funeral.

Model trains whizz around an extensive room-sized diorama of Kyoto City.

A strip of traditional hand towel serves as an admission ticket at this modern tenugui museum.

Legend has it that centuries ago, a ghost once frequented this candy shop to feed her still-living baby.

These turtle-shaped concrete stepping stones provide a unique river crossing in central Kyoto.

This kitsch-forward diner is dedicated to an almost-forgotten “one-cent” prototype of okonomiyaki.

This garden located inside a bamboo forest once belonged to a famous Japanese actor.

Visitors to this museum will discover that kaleidoscopes are much more than toys.

When this massive wooden temple ran out of rope, they made one out of devotees' hair.

This 400-year-old sweet shop serves a delicacy some have described as "edible incense."

Japan's largest and oldest annual procession of floats, begun in 869.

Shrine dedicated to boars that is believed to cure foot and leg injuries.

The traditional houses along the coast of this charming Japanese fishing village allow people to sleep above the sea.

After being lost for decades, this striking mural depicting the atomic bomb covers the wall of a busy Tokyo metro station.

If you forgot something to read during your trip to Tokyo, this hostel has you covered.

This adorable birdlike police box is designed based on a play on words.

A mysterious set of tunnels carved in the hills of rural northern Kyushu.

A calico cat named Tama was the wildly popular Super Station Master at this train stop in southeast Japan.

A network of sandy streets lined with verdant fukugi trees weaves throughout this tiny seaside town.

The tallest city hall in the world offers an excellent bento box.

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.